No abstract

Clostridium butyricum MIYAIRI 588 (CBM 588) is a probiotic bacterium that has previously been used to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea. However, the underlying mechanism by which CBM 588 protects the gut epithelial barrier remains unclear. Here, we show that CBM 588 increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Lactococcus species in the gut microbiome and also enhanced the intestinal barrier function of mice with antibiotic-induced dysbiosis. Additionally, CBM 588 significantly promoted the expansion of IL-17A-producing gdT cells and IL-17A-producing CD4 cells in the colonic lamina propria (cLP), which was closely associated with changes in the intestinal microbial composition. Additionally, CBM 588 plays an important role in controlling antibiotic-induced gut inflammation through upregulation of anti-inflammatory lipid metabolites such as palmitoleic acid, 15d-prostaglandin J 2 , and protectin D 1 . This study reveals a previously unrecognized mechanism of CBM 588 and provides new insights into gut epithelial barrier protection with probiotics under conditions of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis.

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is involved in the development and progression of various types of cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-331-3p in cell proliferation and the expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers of uterine cervical cancer cells. Moreover, we evaluated whether neuropilin 2 (NRP2) are putative target molecules that regulate the human papillomavirus (HPV) related oncoproteins E6 and E7. Cell proliferation in the human cervical cancer cell lines SKG-II, HCS-2, and HeLa was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assay. Cellular apoptosis was measured using the TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) and Annexin V assays. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to measure the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of the NRP2, E6, E7, p63, and involucrin (IVL) genes. A functional assay for cell growth was performed using cell cycle analyses. Overexpression of miR-331-3p inhibited cell proliferation, and induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in SKG-II, HCS-2 and HeLa cells. The luciferase reporter assay of the NRP2 3′-untranslated region revealed the direct regulation of NRP2 by miR-331-3p. Gene expression analyses using quantitative RT-PCR in SKG-II, HCS-2, and HeLa cells overexpressing miR-331-3p or suppressing NRP2 revealed down-regulation of E6, E7, and p63 mRNA and up-regulation of IVL mRNA. Moreover, miR-331-3p overexpression was suppressed NRP2 expression in protein level. We showed that miR-331-3p and NRP2 were key effectors of cell proliferation by regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis. NRP-2 also regulates the expression of E6/E7 and keratinocyte differentiation markers. Our findings suggest that miR-331-3p has an important role in regulating cervical cancer cell proliferation, and that miR-331-3p may contribute to keratinocyte differentiation through NRP2 suppression. miR-331-3p and NRP2 may contribute to anti-cancer effects.

Amphidinolide N (I), a novel 26-membered macrolide possessing an unprecedented carbon framework, has been isolated as an extremely potent cytotoxic compound from the cultured marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium sp., which was living inside of the Okinawan marine flatwork Amphiscolops sp., and its structure elucidated by extensive analyses of its spectroscopic data.

Ion pair formation in water of a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations (1-butyl-, C 4 mim + ; 1-hexyl-, C 6mim + ; 1-octyl-, C 8 mim + ) with BF 4 -, PF 6 -, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Tf 2 N -), and picrate (Pic -) anions has been investigated by capillary electrophoresis at 25 °C. The formation constants at infinite dilution (K IP °) of the 1:1 ion pairs have been determined. For all the anions, the K IP °value increases with increasing alkyl chain length of the cation (i.e., C 4 mim + < C 6 mim + < C 8 mim + ). Except for Pic -, the anion dependence of the K IP °value is always BF 4 -< PF 6 -< Tf 2 N -. The Picanion has a larger K IP °value with C 8 mim + than the other anions, whereas the K IP °value of Picis smaller than or nearly equal to that of Tf 2 Nwhen the cation is C 4 mim + or C 6 mim + ; the K IP °value for Picvaries most sensitively with the alkyl chain length of the cation. The K IP °values of the picrate salts are compared with those of tetraalkylammonium picrates previously reported.